Former Rep. Harley Rouda has dropped out of the race for California’s forty seventh congressional district on the recommendation of his medical doctors.
The Laguna Seashore Democrat, who launched a 2024 bid for the seat in January, fell late final month, he mentioned on April 11, and suffered a reasonable traumatic mind harm. Rouda was handled at a hospital, he mentioned, and had two intraparenchymal hemorrhages, a mind bleed — “a regarding analysis to say the least,” Rouda mentioned.
“Fortunately, my medical doctors say that I've began on the trail to a full restoration,” Rouda mentioned. “However on their recommendation, I'm ending my marketing campaign for California’s forty seventh congressional district as we speak. This isn't the end result I needed. However my household comes first, and to be there for them, I have to focus totally on my restoration within the months forward.”
Rouda, who mentioned he would give attention to the local weather disaster if voters ship him again to Congress, was first elected to symbolize Orange County in 2018, defeating longtime GOP Rep. Dana Rohrabacher. He served a single time period, dropping his reelection bid in 2020 to Republican Rep. Michelle Metal.
His marketing campaign lately introduced that it had raised greater than $1.25 million within the first quarter.
Rouda, 61, jumped into the CA-47 race in Jan. 11, simply someday after Rep. Katie Porter launched a U.S. Senate bid.
“I’m sending condolences to Harley, Kaira and the complete Rouda household throughout this troublesome time,” Porter mentioned. “I want him a radical restoration.”
The race for CA-47 consists of a number of candidates, together with state Sen. Dave Min, group organizer Joanna Weiss and former GOP Meeting chief Scott Baugh.
“Jane and I wish to ship Harley, Kaira, and the entire Rouda household good ideas and prayers,” Min mentioned. “Realizing the fighter that Harley is, I've little doubt that he can have a full and speedy restoration. I wish to thank Harley for his public service, his decency and patriotism.”
Calling him a “private buddy,” Weiss additionally expressed her well-wishes for the previous congressman. And Baugh mentioned Rooda “was an vital voice within the marketing campaign” and expressed his prayers for an entire restoration.
Max Ukropina, a Republican who introduced his candidacy earlier this week, mentioned, “We're praying in your full restoration. You bought this.”
The coastal CA-47 consists of Irvine, Laguna Seashore, Newport Seashore and Huntington Seashore.
It’s one among greater than three dozen Democrat-held seats being eyed by the Nationwide Republican Congressional Committee, the marketing campaign arm of the GOP, to flip to Republican management in 2024.
Democrats have a slight higher hand in voter registration, with 35.6% of voters within the district registered as Democrats to 33.93% as Republicans. Porter gained a reelection bid to the seat final yr, defeating Baugh to take action.
Initially from Ohio, Rouda is a former Republican who donated to former Gov. John Kasich within the 2016 presidential election.
Rouda was a lawyer who ultimately took over his household’s actual property enterprise. In Congress, he chaired the Oversight Subcommittee on the Atmosphere.
“Harley, it was really an honor to serve with you as a part of the historic Class of 2018,” mentioned Rep. Mike Levin on Twitter. “Chrissy and I are wishing you a full and quick restoration.”